BOSTON – The Yankees have an injury-ravaged rotation and a glaring need for offensive firepower, but as Thursday's trade deadline came and went, their big additions were a versatile table setter and — of all things — a Boston shortstop.

In a pair of down-to-the-wire deals just before the 4 p.m. deadline, the Yankees acquired former All-Star Martin Prado from the Diamondbacks and slick-fielding shortstop Stephen Drew from the Red Sox.

While the rest of the baseball world marveled at high-profile trades involving aces David Price and Jon Lester, the Yankees continued their trend of incremental upgrades. Thursday's moves fit perfectly with previous trades for starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy and third baseman Chase Headley.

"I thought the offense would certainly be better than what it's provided," general manager Brian Cashman said. "So hopefully some of these new additions can give us some new opportunities to excel. I can't tell you how things are going to play out. Do I think our club is better right now? The answer is yes, I think we have improved over time, but talk is cheap. We have to actually go out there and prove that."

As it stands, the Yankees head into a weekend series at Fenway Park having lost four of their last five games. They're currently not in the lead for either a division championship or a wild-card berth, but Cashman said he believes the offense should be better and he hopes the rotation will benefit from the eventual additions of Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka from the disabled list.

Although Cashman said he "tried to be on a lot of the elite individuals that moved," he found the market to be thin on true impact sluggers, and he found the Red Sox and Rays unwilling to trade Lester and Price within the division.

"They were not moving them to us, period," Cashman said.

The trade for Drew was the first Yankees-Red Sox swap since 1997. The Yankees gave up utility man Kelly Johnson. Drew, though, has never played a position other than shortstop, and neither has Derek Jeter. Cashman said the Yankees plan to make Drew, 31, their everyday second baseman. Struggling veteran Brian Roberts will be designated for assignment.

"We certainly have a great deal of respect for (Drew's) athleticism," Cashman said. "We're asking for him to accept a new challenge, and we believe that his abilities will allow him to do that."

The Yankees are also banking on Drew hitting better than his current .176, a number they blame on the fact he signed late in the season and didn't have a traditional spring training. He's hit .267 with good power the past three weeks.

Prado, 30, will also be in an unfamiliar position. He's played primarily second base, third base and left field in his career, but he best fits the Yankees in right field as an upgrade over singles-hitting Ichiro Suzuki. Prado was hitting .270 with a career-low .370 slugging percentage in Arizona. The Yankees gave up Double-A power hitter Pete O'Brien plus a player to be named later or cash considerations.

While Drew, Headley and McCarthy are short-term rentals heading for free agency at the end of this season, Prado is under contract through 2016. He could be a corner outfielder, an everyday second baseman, or a third-base alternative to Alex Rodriguez in the future.

But that's a decision for another day.

"Right now what's missing is where we are in the standings," Cashman said. "We're currently on the outside looking in, and we have to make up some ground. Obviously we're trying to do so. All of these additions over the last month and a half, trying to reinforce, trying to improve, so we can consistently get back in that win column and pass some clubs up."